Product Overview of Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo, developed by Serif Ltd., is a powerful and feature-rich raster graphics editor designed for professionals and enthusiasts alike, available on macOS, Windows, and iPadOS.
What Affinity Photo Does
Affinity Photo is positioned as a robust alternative to Adobe Photoshop, offering a comprehensive suite of tools for capturing, editing, and enhancing images. It supports a wide range of file formats, including Adobe’s PSD files, and is integrated seamlessly with other Affinity products such as Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher.
Key Features and Functionality
Non-Destructive Editing
Affinity Photo boasts a non-destructive editing workflow, allowing users to experiment with various adjustments without permanently altering the original image data. This feature is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the image and enabling flexible editing.
RAW Processing
The software provides robust RAW processing capabilities, enabling users to optimize and enhance the dynamic range, color information, and detail captured in RAW files from various cameras. This results in professional-looking images that accurately represent the subject’s true essence.
Advanced Image Manipulation
Affinity Photo includes several advanced features such as:
- HDR Merge: Combines multiple bracketed exposures to create high dynamic range (HDR) images with enhanced detail and contrast.
- Focus Stacking: Seamlessly combines multiple images taken at different focus distances to achieve sharp focus across the entire scene.
Personas and Workspace
The application is organized into different personas, each tailored to specific tasks:
- Photo Persona: The primary workspace for editing and manipulating images, featuring a familiar layout with essential tools and a dockable panel for adjustments and filters.
- Develop Persona: Dedicated to developing RAW photos.
- Liquify Persona: For manipulating images using liquify tools.
- Tone Mapping Persona: For advanced tone mapping.
- Export Persona: For finalizing and exporting images.
Layer-Based Editing
Affinity Photo supports unlimited layers, allowing users to create complex compositing effects and achieve intricate details. The layer-based editing system enables selective adjustments without affecting the underlying image data.
Precise Masking and Selection Tools
The software includes precise masking tools for selective editing, allowing users to create feathered or hard-edged masks to blend layers seamlessly. Additionally, it features luminosity masking tools for adjusting brightness, contrast, and other settings in specific areas of an image.
Color Management and Effects
Affinity Photo supports various color spaces (RGB, CMYK, LAB, Greyscale) with ICC color management and 16-bit per channel editing. It also includes live preview of effects, alpha compositing, black point compensation, and optical aberration corrections. The application supports Look-Up Tables (LUTs) for quick and dramatic transformations of image mood and style.
Panorama Stitching and High-Quality Export
The software features a built-in panorama stitching tool to merge photos seamlessly and create wider scenes. It also supports high-quality export options, including JPEG XL, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, EPS, SVG, and PDF, ensuring flexibility in output formats.
Performance and Compatibility
Affinity Photo is known for its impressive speed and smooth performance, leveraging the latest technology for optimal results. It does not require a subscription, making it a one-time purchase option. The software is fully featured across all platforms, ensuring a seamless workflow between macOS, Windows, and iPadOS.
In summary, Affinity Photo is a powerful, user-friendly, and feature-rich photo editing software that offers a comprehensive set of tools for professional and amateur photographers, making it an excellent choice for capturing, editing, and enhancing images.